Large Retailers Race Toward Safer Chemicals

With new chemical policies in place, Target and Wal-Mart have joined Whole Foods Market in moving well beyond regulations to reduce the chemical footprints of household cleaning and personal care products sold in their stores.

Perhaps most significantly, these initiatives are forcing manufacturers of direct-exposure chemical products -- cosmetics, personal care and household cleaning products -- to know and say more about the chemicals that they introduce into the consumer supply chain, to find alternatives to high concern chemicals, and to accept that the push toward safe and green is not going to stop.

These three retailers are certainly moving in that direction -- but just how far along are they?